


Sweet Lips on my Lips

by OrmondSacker



Category: Star Trek, Star Trek: Discovery
Genre: Angst, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Kissing, M/M, Post-Season/Series 02, Soft kissing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-21
Updated: 2019-04-21
Packaged: 2020-01-23 12:41:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,820
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18549964
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OrmondSacker/pseuds/OrmondSacker
Summary: Paul takes Hugh for a stroll.





	Sweet Lips on my Lips

**Author's Note:**

> This really started as an excuse to give these two some softness and time for kissing and reconnecting. Angst crept in because hey, it's me.

The climate on Terralysium can only be described as balmy at this time of year. The sun is high in the sky yet the air is only comfortably warm. 

Paul sits on a low crate, watching as Detmer, Owosekun and Nhan help each other construct yet another bivouac in the middle of their chosen clearing some distance off. 

They had all decided to make a temporary camp on the planet, creating a sort of base they could return to while exploring this new time they found themselves in. The planet itself had been devoid of all sentient life when they arrived, with no open trace of its former inhabitants. Still with its mild and welcoming climate and natural abundance it seemed to be an obvious place to put down a base. For its location they chose a clearing in one of the larger forests with a nearby lake and surrounding hilland. 

Paul is itching to go help, to do something, anything. But the only way Hugh had allowed him off the ship, in fact allowed him to leave sickbay, was with a solemn promise to take it easy and not engage in any strenuous activity and Paul has a feeling that bivouac building would be considered strenuous. 

The soft hum and cascade of light that heralds a beam down makes him look away from the three women to see Hugh and doctor Pollard materialize a short distance away, both dressed in practical civilian clothes of black, short sleeved t-shirt and pants, rather than the white medical uniform. Hugh catches his eyes and smiles before turning his attention to Pollard the two of the m falling into deep discussion.  

As Paul watches the two, they join the three women, an energetic debate ensuing that from Paul's vantage point looks to be about the location of something, something that if he were to hazard a guess would be their on-planet medical facilities. 

Sighing softly, he gets up and walks off a way, studying the local fauna in an attempt to distract himself from his tedium until a soft, “Hi,” interrupts him. He turns to find Hugh standing close behind him. When Paul see him, Hugh steps forward and puts an open hand on his back between his shoulder blades. 

“How are you feeling?” Hugh asks. 

“Fine. Restless. Bored.” Seeing the worry that rises in Hugh's eyes he immediately adds, “I'm taking it easy.” 

Hugh gently rubs his back. 

“I know you hate sitting and doing nothing but you came very close to dying, Paul. Please give yourself time to recover,” Hugh says, a hint of worry in his eyes. 

Paul nods, putting an arm around Hugh and gives him a light hug. 

“Would a stroll be considered light, non-strenuous activity in your medical opinion?” he asks, both wanting Hugh to himself for a little while and hoping to distract him from darker thoughts. 

“It probably would depending on how long the stroll is. What do you have in mind?” 

“Simply wondering if I could get you to play hooky with me for a little while and go on an unplanned exploration trip?” 

Hugh grins, the last trace of worry vanishing. 

“Any destination in mind?” 

“Down to the lake? That's not very far.” 

Hugh nods and puts an arm around Paul as well, and together they start off towards the lake. 

They walk along the edge of the forest, tall, deciduous trees looming to their right. On their left the grass covered hills stretches as far as the eye can see and straight ahead, between a dip in the hills, the distant glitter of the lake can be spotted. 

As they walk Paul keeps shooting sideways glances at Hugh. He looks so at peace, worries gone again, far more so than Paul has seen him since… since before the war. 

“What? You keep looking at me,” Hugh asks. 

“I was just thinking how tranquil you look. Here, separated from everything and everyone by centuries and you look perfectly at peace.” 

“I am. I'll miss my family and the friends I left behind though it is taking some time to register, but it was my choice to come. I knew not going would be much harder for me in the long run.” 

He raises one hand, softly caressing Paul's face before they continue walking. 

Paul ponders Hugh's words as they go. He knows he'll miss his sibling, that's for sure. No matter how much the two of them would fight he will miss them. His parents too on some level, though they had always felt so far away from him on every level that it had felt like he had left them, or they him, long ago. 

Friends? Apart from Straal there had been no one close to him that wasn't on board the Discovery. In a way deciding to leave had been easy, even without taking the whole saving the universe and all living things into account. There was no other place he'd rather be than on board that ship, with those people, even if it he had thought it would have been without Hugh. Though he knows that he would have gone with Hugh anywhere if he’d asked him. 

But now Hugh had come with him instead, so Paul has all of them now. 

Circling around the last hill the lake comes into full view, the ground gently slanting downwards to the water's edge in front of them while further left it rises rapidly until it forms tall cliffs. On the other side of the lake more deep forest can be seen. 

When they reach the edge of the lake they stop and take in the view. 

“It is strange to think that there lived humans here once. I wonder what became of them,” Paul muses. 

“A lot can happen in a thousand years, just look at Earth's history. But you could ask commander Burnham,” Hugh answer. “She's initiated a set of deeper scans of the surface to see if we can find any clue.” 

“There are no obvious traces of advanced technology, so it's doubtful they left on their own,” Paul continues, following his own train of thoughts. 

“Unless someone came and picked them up.” 

“That sounded ominous.” 

“It wasn't meant that way. Sometimes the universe is kinder than we think.” He gives Paul a little squeeze. 

Paul shrugs not wanting to start an argument on an all-around inconsequential issue. 

So they both fall silent, looking out across the water as they continue to hold on to each other. 

‘Two lovers at the end of the world, the end of time,’ Paul thinks before smiling to himself. Maybe not quite the end, but right here standing next to ancient trees, on a world that has no other people on it but the ones they came with, it does feel like that. 

He turns his head and kisses Hugh's cheek, feeling the bristle of his beard against his lips, watches as Hugh smiles. 

“How about a quick swim?” Paul suggests, nodding to the water, thinking of all the times they had gone swimming during vacations. 

“No.” The word is said softly, but with such vehemence that Paul blinks, taken aback, and Hugh's smiles immediately evaporates. Instead he now wears that professional façade that Paul saw on him far too often during the war, the one that holds strong emotions in check because he has to function but always hid strong feelings. 

Paul cups Hugh's face with one hand, gently turning it so they are looking at each other. 

“Why?” he asks. 

“It's nothing,” Hugh says, stepping away as he shakes his head. “I'm being ridiculous.” 

“Hugh,” Paul says, chasing him, taking hold of his hand. “Talk to me.” 

Hugh is looking out across the lake, lips trembling slightly and his eyes shining with tears. When he speaks his voice is strained, sounding almost frail. 

“The piece of debris that pierced your chest? It didn't just cut through bone, it cut into the myocardium. It almost cut through your heart. I- I wasn't sure if I could save you or if the damage was too severe.” 

Tears are running freely down his cheeks now and Paul pulls him into a fierce hug, rubbing his back. 

“You saved me, you always do,” he whispers. 

Hugh buries his face in Paul's shoulder and Paul hugs him tightly, letting him cry as he gently continues to stroke his back. When Hugh straightens up again Paul cups his face, brushing his thumbs across his cheeks, wiping away the traces of tears. 

“You did save me,” he repeats. 

Hugh nods, smiling wanly. 

“But Paul, regenerated tissue can be fragile. It will hold up to most strain and in most parts of the human body it makes little difference until the body can heal itself fully. But the heart is under constant strain, it's the one muscle that never rests, never can rest. I know you're well and that it is unlikely that just taking a quick swim will put the regenerated tissue in your heart under enough strain to break it but…” Hugh closes his eyes and draws a deep, shuddering breath. “Paul, for the sake of  _my_ heart, please give yourself a week to heal before trying anything strenuous.” 

Feeling a soft ache in his chest Paul nods softly. 

“I promise, I would never defy my doctor's orders,” he says with a little smile, before kissing him on the lips. 

He means for it to be quick, just a brief brush of lips to offer comfort, but Hugh's lips feels so good against his, the prickle of his beard, the feeling of those hairs under his hands, the softness of his mouth. And Hugh parts his lips so willingly when Paul lets his tongue flick across them. His mouth is wet and warm, welcoming Paul inside but though it is very tempting to simply push forward, take full advantage of the moment and keep going until they're both breathless and panting from it, Hugh's words still linger in the back of his mind and he restrain himself, only teasing lightly with his tongue. Hugh's hands lies restlessly at Paul's waist, his fingers rhythmically clenching and unclenching as they kiss, his breath gusting across Paul's mouth. 

When Paul finally, regretfully pulls back, Hugh looks at him heart in his eyes and Paul gives him one final peck on the lips. 

“I suppose we had better get back,” Paul says wistfully. “Before anyone feels the need to send out rescue teams for us..” 

Hugh sighs sounding a bit longing. 

“I guess you're right.” 

Wrapping one arm around each other again they begin to make their way back to camp. Paul pulls Hugh as close as he can as they walk, privately vowing to do what he can to make sure Hugh remains happy in this strange new world, for himself, he knows that he already has all he needs. 


End file.
